Hebron (Al-Khalīl)

Hebron (Al-Khalīl) experienced significant urban transformation from its peak prosperity in the 11th–10th century BCE to its modern layout. The city's decline began towards the end of the 10th century BCE, with a new settlement emerging in the valley during the Persian period (mid-6th century BCE), lacking defensive walls. Post-Islamic conquest, Hebron shifted from a Byzantine-Christian character to an Islamic one, centering around the Sanctuary, which evolved from a basilica into a mosque and Muslim shrine. Urban growth expanded northward, particularly under Mamlūk rule, with markets and dense settlements forming in the valley of al-Khalīl by modern times. This study reconstructs Hebron's historical urban development using archaeological and inscriptional evidence, highlighting its transitions through different periods—Bronze Age, Persian, Islamic, Crusader, and Mamlūk—while emphasizing its cultural and religious shifts.

Sharon, M. (2013). Hebron (Al-Khalīl). Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae, Volume Five: -H-I-, 1–261. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004254817_002